It’s a topic that gets much buzz — how will the cloud of legislation surrounding recreational and medical marijuana use affect businesses, specifically when it comes to compensability for workers’ compensation?

Putting the injured worker first is key to the “advocacy-based claims model,” which puts the worker at the center of all activity. “It focuses on improving the injured worker’s experience. Until now, most employers have focused on corporate outcomes.

The U.S. property/casualty insurance industry in 2016 will likely post an underwriting loss for the first time in four years due to higher catastrophe losses, competitive market conditions and auto liability challenges, A.M. Best Co. Inc. said Monday.

German carmaker Volkswagen will recall nearly 600,000 vehicles in the United States, most of them its premium Audi brand, over defects that could lead to fires or airbag malfunctions.

Ford just issued two new recalls, covering two wildly different vehicle segments. In fact, these two recalls exist on opposite ends of a number of spectrums.

This emerging market is rapidly growing strength throughout the United States with legalized cannabis. The marijuana insurance industry has exploded since certain forms and uses of medicinal cannabis received approval.

Every 45 seconds, a car is stolen in the U.S., for a total value of $4.9 billion in stolen vehicles during 2015. And as vehicles have become more sophisticated, they’ve often inadvertently been left exposed to car theft in new ways.

New government estimates project that for the second straight year, the United States will see the largest leap in motor vehicle fatalities in 50 years. In the first nine months of 2016, the Department of Transportation estimates that 27,875 people died in motor vehicle crashes.

Thousands of rock salt lamps sold at Michaels are under recall due to shock and fire hazards. The recall involves about 80,000 rock salt lamps sold under the Lumiere brand.

Last March, Toshiba recalled the lithium-ion battery packs used in approximately 91,000 laptops that were found to overheat, posing burn and fire hazards to consumers. Now, the company is expanding the safety initiative, recalling an additional 83,000 units.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a “preliminary evaluation” of approximately 1 million Dodge Ram pickups and Dodge Durango SUVs following 43 complaints alleging roll-aways when the vehicles are in the parked position.

Hyundai is recalling more than 41,000 older minivans because the hoods can fly open while they’re being driven. The recall covers the Entourage minivan from the 2007 and 2008 model years.

Technology is a valued ally of insurers in combatting insurance fraud. And for good reason — this crime is growing. These are two findings of the Coalition’s newest study of how insurers use tech to combat billions of dollars in fraud each year.

What makes a claims organization successful? They tend to measure their performance using outcomes-based metrics, employ claim decision support tools such as workflow automation and predictive modeling, and use an “advocacy-based” claims model that puts employees’ needs first.

Federal safety regulators are hoping the fourth time is the charm for millions of recalled dehumidifiers that have now been linked to 450 fires and more than $19 million in property damage: Gree Electric Appliances — the manufacturer fined a record $15.45 million over the fiery dehumidifiers earlier this year — has re-announced the recall.